Amidst National Protests, MVP Causes Water Pollution Disaster

Richmond, VA — Amidst national actions opposing the project, the Mountain Valley Pipeline has caused a catastrophic pollution disaster in Sinking Creek in Newport, Virginia. A report to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality indicates that MVP likely breached karst, dumped heavy sediment into groundwater, and carried the pollution into Sinking Creek. The pollution has traveled far downstream. The issue has been going on since January 28th and no action has been taken by the Virginia DEQ despite the reports. Photos and videos can be found in this folder.

This incident occurs as thousands of people are demanding Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares to hold MVP accountable to its 2019 agreement with the state, which it has repeatedly violated, and pressure his colleagues in the DEQ to issue a stop work order.

Russell Chisholm, co-director of the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights Coalition (POWHR) responded:

“This is everything we warned regulators about. MVP is dumping waste into our waterways and regulators are not holding them accountable to the environmental laws that keep us alive. The Virginia DEQ must issue a stop work order immediately.”

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